Pre-natal And Early Life Factors Predicting Obesity In Children

A clinical research study was done by University College London in the U.K. that looked into certain lifestyle factors that affected weight development in children up to 10 years of age, and to determine whether certain body mass index (BMI) values were associated with markers of psycho-social well-being.

The other finding in the study was that being obese or overweight was associated with a child having a poorer psycho-social well-being, which could extend into the adolescent years and adulthood. The decreased psycho-social well-being could include unhappiness, a low self-esteem and developing problematic behaviours such as alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking.

The study

The findings of the clinical study were based on information that was extrapolated from the Millennium Cohort Study which contains data from over 19,000 families from 2000-2002. This study used the height and weight measurements from children at the ages of 3, 5, 7 and 11. Although the research used observational information, which didn't allow for cause and effect conclusions to be reached, the sample study was large enough (well into the thousands) for the researchers to be able to take note of the influences on a child's weight measurements.

The findings in the information from the cohort study showed the following discoveries:

• Children born to obese mothers were more likely to be obese themselves. This reflected the possibility of obesity being associated with a genetic link.
• A disruption in routines such as skipping breakfast or irregular sleeping patterns affected weight gain due to children having an increased appetite for energy-rich foods.
• Smoking during pregnancy was also linked to an increased chance of childhood obesity most probably due to an association between tobacco exposure of the fetus and motor co-ordination of the infant. This scenario is thought to be a developmental pathway to an increase in BMI growth.
• Four groups of weight development were discovered. These included the "stable, non-overweight BMI group" of which the majority of children (83%) belonged to, the "moderately increasing BMI group" (13%), the "steeply increasing BMI group" (2,5%) and the "obese group" (0,6%).
• In general, girls were found to belong in the "moderately increasing BMI group" and Black African, Black Caribbean and Pakistani children were found to belong to the "steeply increasing BMI group".

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Clinical suggestions based on the study 

The suggestion to physicians is to identify the modifiable risk factors that predict childhood obesity, and to incorporate preventative measures and management protocols that could have an impact in curbing increasing childhood weight and therefore help prevent obesity.

Overview Of Childhood Obesity

Obesity in childhood is defined as children and adolescents whose weight is above the normal parameters for their age and height.

Different children, however, have different body frames and this needs to be considered when determining whether a child is actually overweight/obese or not. If a child's weight is a concern to the parent, then it's advisable to discuss the issue with a healthcare professional. They will consider the child's growth from birth, the family's weight-for-height history and where the child's weight and height is plotted on their growth chart. This information will help the healthcare professional determine whether the child is indeed overweight or obese and if any management protocols need to be incorporated.

Causes of and risk factors for childhood obesity

As mentioned in this article, certain modifiable risk factors are noted as predictors for childhood obesity. The following will be additional causes that affect a child's weight during their developmental phases.

• Increased intake of high-calorie foods.
• Decreased physical activity, therefore less calories are burnt off.
• Changes in digestive hormones that affect the signals letting one know that they are full.
• Having a history of obese or overweight family members.
• Psychological factors such as parental, family and personal stress can result in the child using food as a coping mechanism.
• Socio-economic factors such as not being able to afford long-lasting foods and rather opt to buyimg frozen meals, cookies and similar foods that tend to be high in calorie content.

Complications

Physical complications

• High cholesterol and high blood pressure - A poor diet can result in a child developing these health conditions. If these issues are not managed adequately, then the patient can end up suffering from complications such as experiencing a heart attack.
• Type 2 diabetes - Obesity and decreased physical activity can result in your body not being able to store glucose from the bloodstream to the cells, and this results in developing type 2 diabetes.
• Metabolic syndrome - The collective name given to patients diagnosed with high blood pressure, increased cholesterol (with low HDL and high triglycerides), type 2 diabetes and excessive abdominal fat.
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) - Fatty deposits build-up on the liver that can result in scarring and damage to the organ.
• Asthma - The risk of developing this respiratory problem increases with obesity.
• Sleeping disorders - Obese children can develop obstructive sleep apnoea.

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Emotional and social complications

• Learning and behavioural problems - Obese children tend to become more anxious and have poorer social skills when compared to children with a normal weight. These children can become socially withdrawn or they can act out and become disruptive. Obese children who continue on this path may end up taking up other problematic behaviours such as alcohol consumption and tobacco use.
• Low self-esteem - Obese children tend to be teased and bullied by their peers and this can result in a poor self-image.
• Depression - As a result of a low self-esteem, depression can develop in these children.